Hitler’s Lightning War
A.
B.
C.
D.
Blitzkrieg
France & Britain v. Hitler
The Battle of Britain
The United States Aids
its Allies
E. Atlantic Charter
A. Blitzkrieg
• 1938-39 Hitler invaded
Austria &
Czechoslovakia
• Summer 1939 plans to
invade Poland
• Nazi-Soviet
Nonaggression Pact frees
him to expand
• September 1, 1939 –Hitler invades Poland
with new military strategy
• Blitzkrieg – Lightning War
• Take the enemy by surprise & quickly defeat
B. France & Britain v. Hitler
• September 3, 1939 France & Britain declare
war on Germany
• Phony War – 1st
seven months of
war when there was
no fighting
• French feel safe
from invasion
because of the
Maginot Line
• May 1940 Hitler
invades the
Netherlands and
Belgium on his way
to invade France
• Belgians and Dutch
fought back, but
could not push back
Hitler
• Allies will evacuate
Northern France
through Dunkirk
• By June 1940, Hitler
invades France
• Italy declares war on
both France & Great
Britain
• June 22, 1940 France
surrenders
• Germans took control
of Northern France
• Established a puppet
government (French
government that
answers to Hitler) in
the South
• Called Vichy France
• Charles de Gaulle
becomes the leader of
the French in exile
• Set up a government in
London to fight for
French freedom
C. The Battle of Britain
• Next Hitler plans on
invading Britain
• Called Operation Sea
Lion
• Problem? Have to
cross the ocean
• German Luftwaffe (Air
Force) began attacking
Britain from air to
soften resistance
• Winston Churchill is
the British Prime
Minister
• Vows that the British
will never give in or
surrender to Hitler
• English Royal Air Force (RAF) fought back
with the aid of radar & the Enigma machine
•
•
•
•
Battle took place only in the air
The invasion was unsuccessful
Hitler ended it on May 10, 1941
1st time Hitler was halted
D. United States Aids its Allies
• Franklin Roosevelt knew that the U.S. needed
to help the Allies to avoid being dragged into
war
• Cash and Carry Program (1939): allowed
warring nations to buy weapons as long as they
paid cash & transported on their own
• Lend-Lease Act (1941): U.S. would lend arms
or other supplies to our allies.
• Hitler tried to prevent Lend-Lease aid by
sending German U-boats to attack ships
• Known as “Wolf Pack Attacks” when they
sunk convoy ships
• Considered the Battle of the Atlantic
E. Atlantic Charter
• Atlantic Charter –
joint statement of war
aims between FDR &
Churchill
• Called for collective
security, disarmament,
self-determination,
economic cooperation,
& freedom of the seas